Equipment for use with mechanical breathing apparatus



June 23, 1,959 E. A. J. TUNNICLIFFE 2,891,537

. EQUIPMENT FOR USE WITH. MECHANICAL BREATHING APPARATUS I Filed Sept.10, 1956' v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor:

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EQUIPMENT FOR USE WITH MECHANICAL BREATHING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 10;1956 2 Sheets-Sheet v 16.. I r 5. I 19 .5 2

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United States Patent EQUIPMENT FOR USE WITH MECHANICAL BREATHINGAPPARATUS Edward Albert James Tulmicliif'e, Kensingtou, London,

England, assignor to Electronic and X-Ray Applications Limited, Eondon,England Application September 10, 1956,,Serial No. 608,725.

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 8, 1955 2 Claims.(Cl. 128-30) This invention relates to equipment for use as or withmechanical breathing apparatus which as is well known comprises afitting of one form or another to define between itself and the personrequiring treatment a chamber to which a pulsating pressure air supplyis applied. The equipment which is required with such apparatus ineludesan air pump to supply the pulsating 'air.

To protect the apparatus while in store or in transport, it is packed ina container and by the present invention, it is proposed so to form thecontainer that it can not only be used as a container for parts of amechanical breathing apparatus but also as an air pump for operation byan operator to supply pressure air.

The invention thus provides in itself a completely selfcontai-ned outfitfor providing a mechanical breathing action: in addition the containeris available as a pump for use with other mechanical breathing apparatuswhen the pulsating air supply arrangement supplied for that otherapparatus cannot for one reason or another be used.

The container can comprise two hollow cylindrical portions one fittingaxially separably and telescopically more or less snugly within theother, two parts being closed by end walls. The two parts can beseparated from one another to enable the fitting and other parts of theapparatus to be stowed in one part which is then closed by the otherpart to provide an unobstructed pump chamber serving as a cylindricalcontainer closed at both ends. One of the two parts is provided, usuallyin its end wall, with a pipe connector for one end of an air pipe (whichwould normally be stored in the container) the other end of which can beconnected to a connector on the chamber-defining fitting.

Thus when the container has been opened by separating the two parts toenable the fitting and other parts to be removed from it, the two partscan be reassembled and, the connections having been made at the two endsof the pipe, a pulsating pressure air supply can be established bymoving the two container parts over one another so setting up a pumpingaction of large capacity.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a container constructed inaccordance with this invention and various parts removed from thecontainer ready to be used,

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the container being used as apump to supply a pulsating air pressure to the mechanical breathingapparatus by the use of the parts which were in the container; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the container.

The container, which is of hollow cylindrical form, comprises two parts1, 2 of which the part 1 forms so to speak a base which is closed at itslower end while the other part 2 is a more or less snug sliding fit overthe cylindrical wall of the base part 1, this part 2 being closed at itsupper end by an end wall 3.

The container is dimensioned to receive within its base 2,891,537Patented June- 23,. 1959 part 1 the various pieces of apparatus whichare required to set up a mechanical breathing action: thus this cancomprise a fitting 4 to be applied. to the person requiring treatment,this fitting providing between itself and the body'of the person achamber to which pulsating airpressure has tov be applied to set up thebreathing action: the equipment comprises also a length of flexible hose5 which is formed atone end to be connected to a connector 6 on thefitting 4-and at the other end" is formed to be'connected to aconnector- 7 on the container as shown on the end wall 3 of the part 2.The apparatus comprises also straps 8.

The container 1, 2 serves also to hold other parts enabling thecontainer 1, 2 to be operated as a pump to supply the pulsating airpressure from the interior of the container via the hose 5 to thechamber referred to. These other parts comprise in the arrangementillustrated, a length 8 of bar which is arranged at one end to screwinto an opening in the base part 1 to provide a foot stand as is shownin Figure 2, and other lengths 9 of bar which can be plugged and pinnedtogether: these other lengths provide firstly a link 10 to be connectedat one end to a pivot block 11 screwed into the base part 1 and at theother end a pivotal mounting for an operating lever 12 the outer end ofwhich forms a hand grip: this lever has between its ends a pivoted block13 which is fitted to a component 14 on the end wall 3 of the upper part2, a securing pin 15 being provided to connect the block 13 to the stud14.

The various pieces 8*, 9', 11, 13 having been fitted as shown in Figure2, the apparatus is ready for use: the lever 12 is operated by anoperator to move the upper part 2 of the container on the lower part 1and so the interior of the container is used as the working space of anair pump. To enable air to be drawn into the interior of the container,the end wall 3 may be fitted with a non-return inlet valve 16: the endwall can also be equipped with a pressure gauge the dial 17 of which isprotected by a removable panel 18.

The part 2 of the container can be fitted with hand grips 19 by whichthat part 2 can be manipulated: in some cases these grips alone can berelied upon to efiect the pumping action in which case the pieces 8 15would not be required.

The container parts can be of any desired material but it has been foundthat a very suitable material is that known as fibre-glass: thismaterial is strong, light and is not easily damaged.

The two parts 1, 2 can provide an advantageous form of pump by maleingthe cylindrical wall one of a thickness to make it sensibly rigid and bymaking the wall of the other pant thinner so that it can conform to theshape of the other or rigid wall. It has been found that in this waysome air is permitted to pass between the cooperating surfaces of thetwo walls which will as a result slide over one another with aparticularly silky action providing a degree of airtightness which isadequate for the purpose of this invention. It would be preferable tomake the outer part 2 with the thicker cylindrical wall so that theouter wall of the container has sufficient mechanical strength to avoidbeing easily damaged.

Because of its light weight, the container (with the apparatus withinit) could, if sealed be dropped from aircratft into the sea or otherwater in which it would float to be collected by a boat, the containerthus being well adapted to provide a complete outfit ready for use inemergency conditions in remote or inaccessible places or as a pump unitfor use with other breathing apparatus.

I claim:

1. A mechanical breathing apparatus comprising an 3 outer pump cylinderclosed at only one of its ends, an inner pump cylinder closed at onlyone of its ends and being axially separably telescopically fitted tosaid outer pump cylinder with the closed ends of the respective pumpcylinders being spaced from each other and located respectively at theopposite ends of the telescopic assembly of the outer and inner pumpcylinders, one of said cylinders being relatively rigid and the other ofsaid cylinders being relatively flexible to enable the latter to conformto the former, the pump chamber conjointly defined by said outer andinner cylinders being substantially unobstructed and thus adapted toreceive and house apparatus appurtenances including a hose and a fittingapplicable to the person requiring treatment, operating means outside ofand on the closed end of one of said pump cylinders for efiectingrelative reciprocatory telescopic movement of said pump cylinders, and ahose receiving connector outside of and on the closed end of one of saidpump cylinders and communicating with the interior of the latter.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said outer pump cylinderis the relatively rigid one.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

